Rejoicing in Trouble

Daily Devotions

January 29, 2013

“Breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet.” Eze 37:10 NKJV

Your hopes may be dead and your dreams buried, but God can breathe into them again. Ezekiel stood in a valley of dead, dry bones. That’s about as bad as it gets! Right? Then something amazing happened. God said to the Prophet, “Prophesy…and say…‘Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.’ So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army” (vv. 9-10 NKJV). Any time you see a man or woman enjoying great success in God’s kingdom, there’s a good chance they’ve been through the valley of devastation, hurt and rejection. It was after he had been thrown out of the city, stoned and left for dead, that Paul spoke of being taken up into the third heaven and experiencing things too wonderful to speak of on earth (See 2Co 12:2-4). It was after John was exiled to a penal colony in Patmos that he penned the words, “I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet” (Rev 1:10 NIV). As a result, he wrote the book of Revelation. The Psalmist said, “In the day of trouble …my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me…I will sing…to the Lord” (Ps 27:5-6 NIV). That’s how you “glory in tribulation,” then look back and be able to say, “Thank you for the experience, Lord. Without it I’d never have gotten to know You like I do today.”